You are here

Palestinian issues shouldn’t be excluded from J14

I believe this issue is worthy a blog itself. I received a comment on my Electronic Intifada article on the Tent Protest subject which said:

“Dear Palestinians, Not everything in Israel is about you. Believe it or not, we have full lives outside of you.

This comment is only a sample of what Israelis are saying to counter those who attack #j14 for not addressing the real injustice Palestinians suffer inside Israel and the occupied territory. You will see such words everywhere if you try to question the Tent Protest movement or critique any aspect of it.

I replied to that comment saying:

“Nothing can be about you and not about us.First of all, it wouldn’t have been you if you didn’t steal what was mine and put me under your inhumane military rule.Second, what you do today affects me more than you would think. I suffer the most under your system, and I care how you drive your protests.”

This can’t get any more ugly, until now we haven’t seen any official #J14 condemnations of those actions by the Israeli Government! Does #j14 accept that their social issues can be solved at Palestinian expense? really?

Silence is complicity!

It has been claimed that this Tent Protest movement hasn’t addressed any of those issues, even after 4 weeks, because it is afraid of losing public support. We have been called naive for assuming that Israelis wouldn’t address big issues instantly, this doesn’t convince me. Everyday is another chance to open up the conversation, until when should we wait?

Addressing issues related to Palestinians cannot and shouldn’t be ignored in this whole social justice movement. Don’t use the idea that Arabs are joining the protest movement to boost your own interest and publicity! Do not normalize the situation by using Arab presence, Arabs have demands, and you better address those! Please, end the hypocrisy and emerge to reality!

Tags

Comments

Israeli people want to make J14 all about them and they don't want their protest kidnapped. Palestinians don't have to wait for the same occupants to plead their cause, it's far from happening, the only thing to do is to call on a mass protest against the Israeli presence in Palestine. We had #tahrirsquare, #jan25, #feb17, #tunisia #j14*, #libya**, #sirya*** and recently #LondonRiots, why not #FreePalestine hashtag? *still going on **dangerous situation ***worst situation

and Arabs and Jews are together, still in small but what can I believe be growing numbers, are talking together about issues. There is #tent48 on a very central location on Rothschild blvd and more and more tents are being put up in Arab villages. BTW, there are going to be large, likely predominantly Jewish protests this weekend in Israel-Palestine's periphery (again mainly Jewish). I cannot agree more that this opportunity must not be lost. What is unique about #j14 is the fact that it is a civil movement. Still with many nationalistic symbols and participants but it is civil. It is the exact contrary to what BB and Lieberman's government is trying to do by erasing the Arab nation by law.

There are discussions going on now and more should be prompted. Between Jews and Arabs about how to put the past behind and to share the space between the sea and the river. This is not a utopian idea and tensions will not disappear but a system can be put in place to share. This is happening and we need Arabs to join and help in molding the foundation for a new political system here.